To sleep more peacefully, clear your bedside table from these 6 sources of clutter
Sleep is a fundamental need and is necessary for us to recharge for the day to come. To ensure good sleep, we need to adopt healthy habits, especially in the evening hours immediately before bedtime. But it is also necessary to create an ambiance in our bedrooms that promotes relaxation.
A bedside table is undoubtedly one of the most basic additions in our bedrooms and too often, we ignore its importance in promoting proper relaxation and truly restful sleep; it's easy to transform our bedside table into a shelf for everything we want to have to hand, but there are some objects that should never be stored on it if we want to ensure that we get a good night's sleep.
Given this, there are 6 things that should never be left on your bedside table. Let's find out what these are:
1. Electronics
Raise your hand if you sleep without a smartphone on your bedside table. In the digital age, all of us have a smartphone or tablet to hand and unfortunately, we have fallen into the bad habit of taking them to bed too. However, this habit could prove detrimental to our night's rest, since the light from screens inhibits the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle. For this reason, it is necessary to turn off the television, tablets and cell phones at least 30 minutes before going to sleep. It is much better to read a book or meditate before going to sleep.
2. Cups and glasses
Keeping water or another drink next to your bed is a habit that many of us have to avoid having to get up during the night. Glasses and cups containing liquids on the bedside table, however, represent a significant source of disturbance to our sleep, since there is a good chance we will knock them over in the dark when reaching for them.
In turn, spilled liquid could damage items, wet or stain our bed linen and force us to get up in the middle of the night to deal with the accident.
Rather, make sure to drink the right amount of liquids during the evening so that you go to sleep sufficiently hydrated; if we really need something to drink during the night, use closeable/sealed bottles or glasses to eliminate the risk of spills and make sure you clean them regularly enough to avoid the accumulation of germs and bacteria.
3. Books, magazines and documents
Reading in bed before sleeping is a healthy habit that helps promote good sleep, but whether you read books, newspapers or magazines, it is best to avoid piling them up on the bedside table. Read one book or magazine at a time and put it back on a shelf or throw it away before putting a new one on your bedside table; this practice will not only avoid creating a mess and trapping dust, but will also help keep you more relaxed and serene.
The habit of dealing with bills in bed, however, should be changed immediately, since handling these matters is certainly not conducive to relaxation. Create an environment in your room where you can leave your worries "outside" by leaving these bills (and similar) in another room.
4. Medicines and cosmetics
It may seem like a good idea to keep the essentials for your evening beauty routine on your bedside table, but be careful not to turn your bedside table into a confusing mess of jumbled cosmetic products. Limit yourself to the essentials, or devis a beauty routine to follow in the bathroom before going to bed - this way, you can pamper yourself without cluttering your bedroom too much.
For medicines, however, the risk is twofold: you could take incorrect doses during the night due to drowsiness and the conditions in the room may not be ideal for storing/keeping them in. Again, if you regularly take medications in the evening before going to bed or in the morning as soon as you wake up, create a routine that helps you remember to take them correctly, keeping these products in a dedicated spot or drawer.
5. Candles
Candles are excellent for creating a relaxing atmosphere and pleasantly scented rooms, but keeping them on the bedside table might not be the best idea. First of all, the risk of a fire staring is very high and so, it is best not to leave candles lit in the bedroom as we drift off to sleep. Secondly, candles can release impurities into the air as they burn.
Opt for healthier alternatives, such as flameless candles, soft lights and electric essential oil diffusers. You will be able to create a pleasant and fragrant atmosphere without the risk of fire.
6. Mess
Like everything else in your bedroom, the bedside table should also always be kept tidy, and not only for aesthetic reasons. A messy bedside table could generate negative feelings which could make it difficult falling asleep.
Keep only a few essential objects on your bedside table: a lamp, a book or magazine (if you like reading), an alarm clock. You can add a bottle of water if you want to have something to drink during the night, or a container for your jewelry and other accessories (if you really can't put them away before getting into bed). In short, a nice, tidy environment will help you get a peaceful, restful sleep.
Sweet dreams everyone!